Happy holidays! Hope you all had a good Christmas and relaxing week. It's been one hell of a year and I for one cannot wait to welcome in 2015 with open arms. After Christmas spending,we often over look News Years Eve until it slowly creeps up and gets us panicking last minute!Good thing post-Christmas sales are here to save the day and a decent outfit can be put together. There are some fantastic bargains out there and you can find whatever NYE ensemble you're on the hunt for whether it's glam, casual, or taking over the dance floor. Though I've picked out some great finds, I won't be wearing any of them and resulting to the default black jeans and t-shirt, as I've probably eaten my bodyweight in food over Christmas. Truth is I'm in desperate need to hide and conceal until all the extra pounds are gone!Have a great New Years Eve!

If you've not heard about Tamara from The Glam and The Glitter, you've been hiding under a rock. Her blog is among my top ten of favourite reads and has gone from strength to strength over the last four years.

I love Tamara's style because:

She is the epitome of luxury meets high street. She has a good eye for finding amazing affordable pieces that look premium, and combines them well with investment buys. Her outfits are always so well thought out and put together but she does it effortlessly. I couldn't wait to find out her styling secrets when I caught up with her:

Q:If you could only have
three items of clothing in your wardrobe what would they be and why?

A: I
would have to say a white simple shirt, great fitting boyfriend ripped jeans,
and a blazer, you can create any kind of outfit with those 3, and with right
accessories, its much easier to look great!

Q:How would you best describe your personal style?

A: My
style is "girly interpretation of the trend". I like to follow
trends, but always add a girly twist to it, because that is what I feel the
best in. A lot of prints and a lot of colour also make me happy.

Q: What
do you think makes someone stylish?

A: I
think its the way you carry yourself and the way you combine the clothes you
own. There is also that attitude,stylish people never look down on what other
people wear, even if its not something what they would personally wear. Its
important to appreciate the beauty of everything.

Q: What
is your biggest style tip?

A: To only wear what you
feel good in. And I don't mean the comfort, I mean the confidence, if you think
you look great in that dress, and your friends don't agree, you will look much
better if you listen to yourself. Confidence makes us look so much better :)

I'm really not a huge fan of winter... at all! Shorter days, darker nights and freezing temperatures what's to like? Having to wrap yourself in layers to leave your front door is also a pain but I do love a good winter coat. For an entire season your coat is your staple piece so I've decided it should so be my statement piece this winter.

In the past, I've tended to go safe with coats because I wanted to make sure they matched my entire wardrobe and had longevity. Now I really feel like having one with a bit more personality whether its bright, colorful, draped, textured or just has an interesting shape. I'm on the lookout at the moment but have included some immediate favourites from my recent online spree. Which one do you like?

One of the things I love about LA is Halloween in LA. People go to town with costumes and parties, and everyone makes an effort properly getting into the Halloween spirit. When Fancy Dress Queen got in touch for me to review one of their costumes, it couldn't have come at a better time. I decided to go for something a little unexpected and went as B (or the Bride) from Kill Bill.I realise B is played by 6ft tall blonde Amazonian Uma Thurman but hey...Halloween is all about putting your own twist to your favourite characters.

I actually got some great responses from the West Hollywood crowd and it seems that people who love a movie or character are just excited when they see anyone playing homage to it. The only thing I'd say about wearing an all in one PVC catsuit is that be prepared to die of heat! I must have lost quite a few pounds that evening in my very own walking sauna. The things we do for Halloween!

As I settle back into my reality of work and grey skies, I am
still on a high after some much needed vitamin D and time out in LA. Being my home away from home after living there for 2 years, I always love going
back to visit friends but also because there isn't a place like it.

During this trip, my friend and I decided to stay at the Petit Ermitage, an eccentric hidden boutique hotel in West Hollywood. The thing about
LA hotels is that though they can offer utter luxury and glamour, they can also
be impersonal, busy and full of the wrong crowd.

As many of the popular hotels are tourist attractions in
their own right, I love the fact that Petit Ermitage has a different flair with its classy yet whimsical gypsy theme.

The rooms

Our room was a lovely suite which included a king sized bed with Egyptian cotton, pretty kitchenette, fire place, private bathroom and shower and of course free WiFi! The amenities and essentials were great but I also loved the room’s vintage inspired theme with its Venetian plaster walls and original art.

Poolside

One of the main reasons I went on this holiday was to relax and recharge my batteries. LA hotels have some of the best pool sides, but what I loved most about this one was that it was quiet and felt very exclusive. The salt water pool was also a huge thumbs up as I didn't get the chlorine fear of my swimwear changing colour. I also loved the cabana where you could lounge around and look at the city views. I spent a huge amount of time at this pool during my stay and loved it.

Dining- Breakfast

LA has some of the best restaurants in the world in my opinion so we tended to eat out more than dine at the hotel. However, we made it a daily routine to have our breakfast every morning in the outdoor restaurant. The staff were always friendly and helpful and we would happily sit outside in our robes and enjoy fresh fruit, juice, bread and muffins. You could either choose to have a continental buffet breakfast or swerve to the odd American temptation consisting of waffles and maple syrup, crispy bacon and butter cream oatmeal. Yes I now have to go on a serious diet.

Service

The service at this hotel was wonderful especially with the
management team (thanks Alex). Whether you needed a taxi, restaurant
reservations, printing out a document or decaf coffee ( yes in America) they
were only happy to oblige. Part of the
reason I enjoyed my stay was the way the staff were so friendly and accommodating.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time and I would definitely stay at this hotel again. The only thing I would change is maybe having a shower room or hotel
room checked out guests can use. We had
an evening flight so I would have loved to have freshened up and changed in a
private room than a toilet. Apart from that I would highly recommend this
quirky, unique luxurious and fun boutique hotel. Five stars from me!

I love it when you have a staple piece you can pull out season after season, year after year.This jumpsuit from Zara is one of them and I definitely made a good purchase here. I've just had my birthday weekend and wore this outfit for a Sunday lunch with one of my good friends. I had been in heels and a restrictive dress the night before, so wanted to wear something a little more casual that would allow me to.. erm eat a hearty lunch. My Zara jumpsuit never fails as it's comfortable and loose fitting but still smart. I went for an all black ensemble despite the sunshine to mark the inevitable Autumn Winter change. I accessorised with my my gold sparkly Espadrilles , 3 quarter length leather jacket (which I've also had for years) and trusted bad hair day hat, both from H&M . What's your Sunday look all about?

Just had to share what my gal pal Natasha wore that day too. Not only is she the uber fashionista (keep telling her to do her own blog), our unplanned outfits seemed to match perfectly. Anyone would think we are in a girl band ;-)

It took me a while to come around to the idea that I could pull off the popular double denim trend. I loved seeing it on other people but wasn't quite sure how I could make it work for my style and shape, so I experimented. My denim shirt believe it or not, is from Primark! I never invest or spend too much money on a look I'm unsure about until I give it a trial run(and at £10 the shirt was a no brainer purchase). I have to say that though it won't last me long, I really love the cut and colour of this shirt, not to mention the pocket detail. Not only will it work with all my jeans and denim shorts, it will also go with things like pencil skirts, black trousers or leather pants, and layered up casually with leggings and a plain t-shirt.

The look is kind of cowgirl inspired with a more street, urban twist. My jeans are from the River Island denim range but I've already ripped a hole in them as I've worn them all summer, so will need to invest in some good quality ones. Jbrands or Paige jeans, seem to be the only brands that suit my body shape and can last me a while. My trusted accessories include my H&M hat, Ray-ban sunnies and Michael Kors Watch.

These lovely photos were taken by the talented Brighton based photographer Emma Gutteridge. I really wanted to work with a professional (no offence to my usual iPhone snapper and friend Tom) who knew how to work with dark skin. A lot of photographers get it wrong with black women because they are either too harsh with lighting or frankly don't provide enough! We took these in the summer a few weeks ago (which is why my hair is different) and we were also actually blessed with a sunny day. Many thanks to Emma for making me look oh so profesh.

With my birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, I'm on the hunt for the perfect outfit so when Lavish Alice got in touch for me to review one of their gorgeous new collections, I jumped at the chance. I decided to go for the powder blue bodycon dress, as I loved the colour and peplum detail. I was hoping to shoot it on a sunny day (Indian summer my ....) but the grey clouds didn't get to show how nicely the tone compliments my skin.

Though I have my fair share of bodycon dresses, I feel this one is more wearable for occasions like weddings or evening parties as the peplum bodice flatters your shape and the spagetti straps give it a sophisticated feminine silhouette. I also love the fact that they go perfectly with my newly purchased Jimmy Choos, which are already proving to be an amazing investment.

Last weekend, my close girlfriend and I had drinks at one of the most talked about London hotspots of the year,The Chiltern Firehouse. Living in Brighton for so long has meant that I'm completely out of the loop on the new London openings, and missed the hype around the Chiltern opening earlier this year. My friend had been to dinner a few weeks before and had nothing but rave reviews so I was intrigued to see what it was all about.

As soon as we arrived, I felt like I had been taken back in time to when I was living in LA many years ago, and stayed at the gorgeous Chateau Marmont hotel. Because I was probably hiding under a rock at the time (seriously, I can't believe I missed this), I didn't realise that The Chiltern is in fact owned by Andre Balazs, the same man behind the Mercer in New York, The Standard hotels in the US, and of course Chateau Marmont.

I can't tell you how beautifully layed out this former fire station in Marylebone is. As his first ever property outside the US, I instantly felt the Balazs's stamp, and excited that London finally has its very own Chateau Marmont replica. The cool, glamorous ambiance still resonates but the fire station theme gives it more of an English/London feel, which I loved.

On this occasion, we went for Sunday drinks and snacks on the outside terrace, to make the most of the final summer days. I had the signature crab stuffed doughnuts as a snack, but based on the way those tasted, I'd like to go back and order everything on the menu!

I wish I had taken photos but I remember that Chateau had a strict no photographs policy so didn't want to get in trouble or worse kicked out! ( though I have seen lots of reviews with photos online since)

I definitely want to explore the menu over a lunch or dinner and do a review though by the looks of it I'll have to wait as its already fully booked till December!

I
also have to point out that The Chiltern has the friendliest most
helpful service team. As per usual, I had iPhone charge issues and the
hosts were only happy to charge it for me at reception when I asked.
Being the calamity Jane that I am, I was then late for my next meet-up,
so one of the guys kindly hailed me a cab from the main road, got in it
and got the driver to stop just outside so I wouldn't have to walk.
Excellent service goes a long way, and it has made me even more eager to
go again.

A few weeks ago, my close girlfriend and I ventured out to Croatia for the first time for the yearly Sunce Beat Festival. I have been hearing some great things about Croatia over the last couple of years so the festival was the perfect reason to experience it myself. Some have been saying Croatia is the new Ibiza but for someone who has been going to Ibiza every year for the last decade, I was apprehensive. I did end up having a great time but wished I'd had time to visit towns like Split and Hvar instead of staying in Tisno all week. Here are my initial thoughts on the country and the Festival.

Croatia

Croatia is beautiful. It's understated, it's serene and as its only recently become a popular tourist destination, ( 5-6 years or so) it still retains some authenticity. The beaches aren't great. They are rocky and stoney, some even paved with concrete so if you're looking for white sands, you'll be disappointed ( though there maybe much better beaches in other parts I don't know about) .The sea however is lovely, crystal clear and calm and I would recommend it for the lucky ones who are island hopping by boat or yacht.

One of the other things I loved was that everything was cheap!

Maybe
I'm used to Ibiza prices but I thought it was great value for money
especially with things like food, alcohol and taxis. I also found
people were really friendly and helpful but at the same time kept
themselves to themselves. I would go again but think I need to see other
islands like Hvar while I'm there to really get the best out of it.

Sunce Beat Festival

My friend and I decided to go to Sunce Beat as we have been going to (and been great fans of ) South Port Weekender UK for years. South Port parties aren't not known for flashy hotels or glamours locations, but fantastic music from some of the UK's top DJ's. There's always the sense that people go primarily for the music and I love about that sort of atmosphere.

Sunce Beat was very much the same in that sense. The crowd is older (say early 30's to 50's) with a complete diverse mix of people all there for the music. With boat parties, live PA's and beach bars, there was enough change of scenery as you are basically on one festival site for the whole week. The only thing I was a little disappointed about (for me and my preference) was the lack of old school R&B and hip hop. As much as I love house music ( funky, soul and smooth) after a week, it got a little repetitive. The beauty of the South Port weekends were that entire rooms were dedicated to R&B and hip hop, from 90's 80's and old skool disco songs. You could dip in and out of genres, and get the best of both. However, if house music is your bag, you'll absolutely love it!

What I wore

Not one pair of heels were worn on this holiday, hard to believe I know. I definitely kept it more casual and practically lived in shorts, flats and trainers! I actually made more of an effort in the day with my beachwear, and switched it up with various cover ups, tops and accessories. It's also great to give my skin a bit of a break and not wear as much make-up, as well as get some much needed vitamin D. Can't believe my summer holiday went so quickly! :-(

About Me

Hello, thanks for visiting my blog. I started this blog in 2011 mainly because I'm a bit of a shopaholic. I'm always picking up one thing or another and thrive on hunting down a bargain. The name actually came about because of people commenting on my clothes and asking me, 'where did you buy that?' I'm a cross between an investment buyer and a bargain hunter and mixing the two is what I love to do the most.